Enhanced digital video broadcast idle mode in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method in a digital video broadcast enabled wireless communication device ( 400 ) operating in idle mode including receiving a digital video broadcast program association table including program and corresponding program mapping table packet identifier information, and providing information in the received program association table about a subsequent program association table that has been modified but not yet received by the wireless communication device.

1 . A method in a digital video broadcast enabled wireless communication device operating in idle mode, the method comprising: 
 receiving a digital video broadcast program association table,    the program association table including program and corresponding program mapping table packet identifier information,    providing information in the received program association table about a subsequent program association table that has been modified but not yet received by the wireless communication device.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , receiving a subsequent program association table, while operating in idle mode, only if the subsequent program association table has been modified.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , receiving the subsequent program association table, while operating in idle mode, based on the information provided in the received program association table about the subsequent program association table that has been modified but not yet received by the wireless communication device.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , not receiving subsequent program association tables, while operating idle mode, if the subsequent program association tables have not been modified.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , indicating in the received program association table when a subsequent program association table that has been modified will be transmitted for reception by the wireless communication device.  
     
     
         6 . A digital video broadcast enabled wireless communication device, comprising: 
 a wireless receiver;    a processor communicably coupled to the wireless receiver;    a program association table stored in memory communicably coupled to the processor, the program association table including program and corresponding program mapping table packet identifier information,    the program association table including information about a subsequent program association table that has been modified but not yet received by the wireless communication device.    
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , 
 the controller configured to enable the receiver to receive a subsequent program association table, based on information in the program association table stored in memory, only if the subsequent program association table has been modified.    
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 6 , 
 the controller configured to enable the receiver to receive, during operation of the device in idle mode, a subsequent program association table, based on information in the program association table stored in memory.    
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , 
 the controller configured to enable the receiver to receive, during operation of the device in idle mode, a subsequent program association table that has been modified without receiving, during operation of the device in idle mode, intervening program association tables that have not been modified.    
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 6 , 
 the program association table including information indicating when the subsequent program association table that has been modified will be transmitted for reception by the wireless communication device.    
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , 
 the controller configured to enable the receiver to receive a subsequent program association table, based on information in the program association table stored in memory, only if the subsequent program association table has been modified.    
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 6 , the wireless receiver is a digital video receiver.  
     
     
         13 . A content wireless broadcast infrastructure entity, comprising: 
 a digital video broadcast program association table generating entity;    a first program association table generated by the program association table generating entity including program and corresponding program mapping table packet identifier information,    the first program association table including information about a subsequent program association table that has been modified relative to the first program association table.    
     
     
         14 . The entity of  claim 13 , 
 the first program association table scheduled for transmission before the subsequent program association entity.    
     
     
         15 . The entity of  claim 14 , a transmitter for periodically transmitting program association tables for reception by a wireless communication device.  
     
     
         16 . The entity of  claim 13  is a digital video broadcast infrastructure entity.